Generally speaking, a printing apparatus (“printer”) is operable for marking image(s) upon graphic media substrates to produce graphic media products such as labels, decals, emblems, and signs. The image may comprise symbols, data patterns, text, indicia, and other markings. The markings present information graphically to users, who view the graphic media products.
The media substrate comprises a material that may be marked durably with the image using a marking agent compatible therewith. Simple paper substrates, for example, may be simply marked with an ink. Graphic media products, such as some labels marked with barcodes or other data patterns, may comprise a thermally sensitive substrate material and marking agent.
Printers may comprise a printhead mechanism and a feeder mechanism. The printhead is operable for the marking of the image onto a substantially blank portion of the media substrate. The feeder is operable for moving the blank media substrate into proximity and alignment with the printhead sufficient for the marking of the image onto the substrate.
The operation of the feeder comprises applying a mechanical force to a supply of the blank substrate. For example, the substrate may be supplied as a roll of blank thermally sensitive material in a web configuration disposed on a spool. The feeder may apply a traction to a roll, with which the substrate is fed to the printhead.
Printers are designed and constructed with sizes sufficient to accommodate the mechanical operations of components of the feeder mechanism and the supply of the blank media substrate, as well as the printhead and its other electrical and mechanical components. The size of the printer relates to the spatial area it may cover upon its deployment.
Relative to a finite amount of space that may be available in a facility in which the printer may be deployed, the printer size may be significant. For example, real estate costs associated with the facility relate to its total area, and the space occupied by the printer becomes unavailable for other, perhaps more productive or remunerative use.
Heavy duty, high throughput printers intended for industrial use may be constructed using larger and more numerous components, and are thus typically larger than other printers. Especially in relation to the industrial printers, their size may thus occupy more than a trivial amount of the available area, with higher related cost.
Moreover, the size of a printer corresponds to the size and number of its components and thus, to the amount of material used in its construction and its weight. Relative to smaller printers, larger printers comprise more material, and are thus heavier. The size and weight of a printer relates directly to its cost of construction, procurement, transport, and operation.
The higher number of components also contributes directly to the complexity of the printers. The complexity of the printers relates inversely to their reliability, while contributing directly to their maintenance expectations, including associated downtime, each of which may relate to corresponding loss of productivity and additional expense.
In relation to the printers discussed above (referred to herein as “conventional”), therefore, it could be useful to generally reduce their size and the amount of material used in their fabrication. It could also thus be useful to generally reduce the number of components the printers comprise and the complexity associated therewith, while increasing their reliability. Further, it could thus be useful to reduce the costs associated with the printers relating to their size, amount of material and number of components, complexity, and/or maintenance expectations, downtime, and lost productivity.